Pokemon Gulf War
by Mitrok
Summary: The Gulf War in the Pokemon world from the perspective of an Iraqi soldier.
1. Chapter 1

Running to the barracks, I need to get there quickly in order to get back to training in time. The dry dirt and gravel kicking up a cloud while I ran but I cannot worry about my pants getting dirty now. As I near the door, to leap inside and bursting open the green doors to my small, worn-out beige tent. Swiftly, I took my Pokeballs and retrieved each of my pokemon to be inside them because some of them are too slow to keep up. Closing the doors, I run back to training for it to just start and manage to slip into line before the sergeant got to my name. When he called out Amjad Jaffari, I answered  
him that I was present.

Today's training was a step above basic, we had to learn how to immediately react to any given Pokemon with the Pokemon of our choosing to be actively using. This meant knowing the type advantages and the general stats of the average enemy Pokemon so that we know which move to use while taking into account their speed and defenses. If the enemy Pokemon is especially faster than yours then a more defensive move would better or wait for the right moment. Today it was just cards but next week we would have to practice on each other. The combat training was ended recently after a year but due to the war in Kuwait, the Pokemon Combat Division's training is being rushed because they are viewed as "expendable."

I wish Pokemon could not be used at all during the war but I would be a liar if I am not glad they can be here to support me, praise be to Arceus. Each of them are like a brother or sister to me so I do not want to see them get hurt for a human war. They have been with me for at least ten years  
and others even longer. I will choose my Gabite for next week's exercise.

Gible was given to me by my father when I was born as I could be their only child, he was to be my brother. He says that he found him stranded near the Zamzam Well when he was on Hajj and took it as a sign that this Gible would be a gift and could protect me. My parents say that he evolved into  
Gabite when I was 2 so that he could help me learn how to walk. Since then I went wherever he went, he felt like an older brother that I looked up to. When I first began to speak I looked at him and gave  
him the name Ashaka.

Next week for the new training, Sergeant Balil showed up with his partner Flygon. I hated that Flygon, it looked like every part of that Pokemon was covered in ash as if it was the image of death and always acted as if it was going to attack at any time by the way it jerked for no reason. "Alright you wastes of camel dung! You will be scored on today's practice as part of your placement tests! Making the right move is more important than landing a hit if you sons of whores can understand that." he said. From years of knowing Ashaka I knew exactly how strong and fast he was and all the versatile moves he  
can learn. This made the training very easy for me, scoring as one of the best.

Yoseph's Flareon was strong but most of the time it was too slow and at a type disadvantage combined with incapable to learn more moves to do anything but use Protect. Fire-type Pokemon are the most common to use in any army because of their destructiveness but I always stuck to Ground because I just always feel at home with them. I went up to him and said "Not bad, but are you sure you should not use a different Pokemon?" he replied, "I know that Hanaa is not the best Pokemon to use in war but she will defend me no matter what." With that I just gave him a smile as we walked to the "cafeteria" would be a nice way of calling it, a shack with trays inside, the only meal was bread, rice, and peas.

I fed each of my Pokemon as much as I was given, their diet had more variety at least. I talked to Yoseph while we fed our Pokemon. Yoseph was a better soldier than a Pokemon trainer in battle, he is almost 200cm tall and agility to match. A regular army build with swayed hair but a wispy mustache. While I was average height and scrawny, I would need my Pokemon to survive in any war. When everyone finished eating most of the camp including myself went to bed after today's training.


	2. Chapter 2

Upon waking up for the call to prayer, I did my morning prayer beside my bunkmate, Esam. I did not really know Esam despite being his bunkmate, he seemed preoccupied with getting promoted so he was usually found sucking up to anyone with a higher rank. Esam always keeps his hair brushed and his uniform pressed to ensure he was making a good impression. His two Pokemon were Nosepass and Lickitung, I never questioned why he chose those as his companions. I try to be friendly to him though so I asked him "Would you want to eat breakfast with us?" His answer was no surprise, "I heard someone from command in Baghdad is making a visit to this training camp. I would want to find him and show what an asset I would be."

Deciding to leave my tent without my Pokemon to let them keep sleeping since there was to be no training today, I went to get breakfast. You are not supposed to take food to your Pokemon if they are not with you as some measure to prevent stealing food but it was not really enforced. By the time I got to the cafeteria, there was a longer than usual cheque, probably a spill again. The word from the front of the cheque was that the chefs were told to wait. Wait for what?

It was ten minutes later that I saw two figures walking towards us. The heat of Iraqi desert made it look hazy from this distance making it impossible to distinguish who they were. Just a minute later I could see Sergeant Balil and some man I had never seen before, he seemed rather sickly by how scrawny and pale he was but after the months I have spent in this camp I could just have gotten used to the soldier look. Perhaps it was that person from Baghdad I heard of from Esam? Sergeant Balil stood about three metres away from us when he addressed the breakfast line. For once dressed in a presentable uniform instead of the one that he had worn in combat from the Iraq-Iran War. That should have told me there was something going to happen.

Balil began to speak to the crowd in a formal voice, "Men, it is unfortunate that I must tell you this when you have not yet finished your training. I have just been informed that America has decided to take Kuwait away from us despite our rightful claim. Because of this, you are all going to be deployed immediately to counter the American dogs. I will not sweeten it for you, they are better equipped, had more training, and have allies." He then began to shout in an aggressive tone, "So it will be all the more humiliating for them when sorry bastards like you send them back home! And none of you pull that martyr shit or I personally spit on your graves! You fight to your last breath or I look like I trained a bunch of cowards that took the easy way out! You will be leaving in two days so start preparing for departure!"

He gave us a salute and was responded with the same by the soldiers, then Balil walked off to his quarters with the other man that did not say a word. The cheque at first was silent but after a few minutes there began worried and befuddled whispers that grew into loud chatter almost instantly. Everyone's reactions was a mix of fear of being killed or disfigured, excitement to see combat, and anger for having being forced to join the army without a choice. Like I want to be here! I just want to go home to my parents and do what I did every day with my Pokemon. Why do those Americans get a choice and I don't? Why would they choose to kill in a war? Fuck them! Fuck them and fuck Saddam! If I do not have a choice to fight but they do then I will not hesitate to defend myself. Finally the cheque had started to move again and we were all relieved just to get some food that it moved faster than usual. As soon as I could pile as much food that was possible onto the tray I ran to my barracks, almost tripping over a rock in my hurried pace.

When I walked through the door I released all three of my Pokemon and had them eat before telling them. They seemed to be able to sense that I was upset and kept glancing towards me their entire meal. Upon finishing their food I tried explaining to them that we will be leaving sooner than expected and it will become much more dangerous than it should have. I had already talked them through what war was and what it meant when I was first drafted. Being the big brother that he is, Ashaka just gave me a gentle Headbutt and a calm but serious look to tough it out. Fatimah, my Nidoqueen, was grinding her teeth in anticipation of fighting our enemies. When I looked over to Rawah, I saw a depressed demeanor that I had not even in a long time. During a vacation to the Ziggurat of Ur, my family and I spotted a Marshtomp on the side of the road that was tired and dried up. Going up to her I could see how hopeless she looked and had accepted death at that point. Seeing a Marshtomp in Iraq away from Tigris or Euphrates does not make sense to me even now, I can only think that Rawah was abandoned by her band. I didn't care, I only wanted to save her life, even if my parents did not want a muddy Pokemon in the house. To cheer her up now I did the same thing I did then. I soaked her with the hose on the dirt and she cheered up immediately.

It was not until the next day, after I had finished preparing, that I was able to talk to Yoseph. He seemed to be handling everything perfectly fine like a true soldier. He looked like he was going to the training range so I decided to follow with my Pokemon. But when I caught up to him he was alone and cradling Hanaa in his lap, I did not want to interrupt him but in case we were not sent to the same squad I had to talk to him now. I asked him if there was something wrong so he told me, "I do not want Hanaa to risk her life. She is the only family that I have left. My parents were at a base when the Iranians attacked and they were killed. After I found out I took what money I had left and bought her a Fire Stone to be able to help anyone and then I lived in an orphanage until I was drafted. Now they want to take her away from me too, I should just run off with her to Syria." He had never told me any of this before now, come to think of it he never really talked about himself at all. In an attempt to comfort him I said, "You know that there was nothing you could do to save your parents. While you might be able to run away now and it might work, the army does not take desertion lightly. They might even kill the both of you! How would you even get to Syria by foot? Just stay, your odds are better." "I know that you're right but you didn't have to say it. I just want to leave god dammit. I have to think about what to do."

I decided to let him be and skip any training I might have done. After a few hours it became night time and the other soldiers found a way to smuggle in enough alcohol to kill a Snorlax. We all let our Pokemon out and have fun with us. It was going to be hell in the morning but nobody cared for now. I met the guy that brought the alcohol, his name is Sameer and was the least uptight guy here. Getting drunk was something I never did before but I do not see why it was such haram to everyone. Seeing a Hitmontop drunk was the funniest damn thing I ever saw in my entire life! It knocked down every table and puked in a circle. I did not let Fatimah have any because of how regularly aggressive she is but Ashaka had so much that he tried to swim on the ground. Rawah was just happy to be able to mingle with the other Pokemon in a normal setting not involving training. After about 3 everyone decided to get some sleep before getting up in a few hours because tomorrow we will be in Kuwait.


End file.
